Beneath Your Perfect

“Can I come in?” I stared surprised at Eleanor standing in my doorway before moving to the side and allowing her to walk in.

“How do you know where I live?” I asked her confused.

“Louis told me everything. About you and Liam and your well um arrangement.” She replied, ignoring my question. I eyed her as she walked into my living room her eyes roaming my flat.

“Oh.” The only response I had for her. She turned her gaze on me and I shifted uncomfortably.

“You didn’t have to lie to us.”

“I barely know you. I was just doing what the arrangement told me to do. It was up to Louis or Liam to tell you.” I grumbled at her in annoyance. I was still annoyed at Liam after our fight last week and I certainly didn’t have time for anyone who knew him. “If you’ve just come here to yell at me about lying to you, you can leave.”

“You were nicer when you were fake dating Liam.” Eleanor observed. I rolled my eyes and leant against my couch, folding my arms across my chest.

“Yes well Liam’s a douche and I guess I don’t have to pretend to like him anymore. Now if you don’t mind...” I trailed off and waved at the door. She stared at me in surprise.

“You weren’t faking it. You did like him, you still do.”

“You know me that well huh?” I grumbled at the fact that she still wasn’t leaving.

“I know when people like each other. It’s not something you can fake well. What happened between you and Liam?”

“Is it really any of your business?”

“Yes because when he started to fake date you he started to show some remnants of who he used to be. It was small but it was enough to make Louis talk about it for days. I haven’t seen Louis that happy in a long time. But then you both had a fight and Liam is miserable.” I looked at Eleanor surprised. I never expected Liam to be miserable. “Just talk to him.”

“I don’t want to and I don’t have to.” She sighed and deflated slightly. I grew hope that maybe just maybe she might leave.

“Please give him another chance. I’m not trying to be dramatic here but you might be his last hope.” She said softly before moving past me towards the door.

“Tell me what you know. The other day when I asked you what happened? You said to ask him. But I want you to tell me and the maybe I’ll consider talking to him.” I tried to bargain with her, I didn’t expect the glare she turned on me.

“Why? Why do you want to know so much about what broke Liam? So you can write it about in your book? That’s what your writing about isn’t it, about Liam.” I eyed her for a moment as she glared back. I was slightly surprised that she knew.

“I don’t know what I’m writing about. But if you want me to help Liam then I have to know why he’s broken.” I replied simply, she stayed silent for a long time, debating on what to tell me. I could tell by the way her eyes scanned me and she kept chewing her bottom lip in thought.

“It wasn’t just one thing. There was a lot. There was a lot of pressure on all of them. It didn’t just affect Liam. They all broke at one point. But they used each other to come back. Liam was always the strong one. He never broke, he was the one that was there for each of them. But eventually things happened and I guess it was all too much. He broke too, but he didn’t use the others for help. He pulled away from everyone. His family, the boys, even Danielle.” I stared at her not knowing how to reply at first.

“I can’t tell you what happened because it’s not my place to. But if you decide to talk to Liam and keep doing whatever it is that you’re doing just remember that sometimes it’s just easier to forget and move on. Don’t open up old wounds and don’t hurt him even more. Don’t choose to go back into his life if you plan to leave soon. He needs someone stable, someone permanent. Dani couldn’t stay for him but he doesn’t blame her.”

“But you do?” I asked her softly. Her eyes closed briefly before she opened them again. There were tears in her eyes. My own eyes widened in surprise.

“I could never leave Louis when he needed me the most, no matter how he treated me.”

“People handle things differently.” I reasoned to her. She shrugged and wiped quickly at her eyes. It shocked me how tied together this group of people were. Eleanor said that all the boys were affected by so was she.

“I’ll talk to him. But I can’t promise anything but that.” She nodded at me in acceptance.

“Can we uh not tell the others I came here? Louis would probably kill me. We were told to stay away from you until you and Liam sorted it out.” She grinned sheepishly. I laughed at her and nodded, following her towards the door.

“Sorry for being rude before.” I apologised softly. She cracked a small smile, a genuine one.

“You’re obviously angry at Liam for whatever happened between you both. So I understand that you would be angry at anyone who associated with him.” I laughed with her quietly before surprising both her and myself by pulling her into a hug. I felt like she needed one. She smiled warmly before leaving.

I shut the door and headed back into the living room and stared at the open document on my laptop. Selecting the whole text, I quickly pressed delete. I had tried to continue writing about Liam but it was all wrong and full of hate when I didn’t know the whole story. I left the rest of the chapters untouched and closed my laptop. Liam hadn’t tried to contact me since I walked out and I really didn’t think I would be able to talk to him over the phone at this point. Sighing I knew I would have to go and see him.

-

“So what you’re just going to go and forgive him like that. After he stole from you?” Aria asked me incredulous.

“Weren’t you the one telling me that I had been overdramatic about the book?” I asked her before placing the forkful of lasagne in my mouth.

“Yes but that was because I thought you weren’t going back to him. At all!” She said loudly. I quieted her down as we got a few strange looks in the restaurant.

“You told us that your book was too important to you to ever forgive him for it.” Sarah added in making me groan in annoyance.

“Yes and you told me that he didn’t know that. So therefore I should probably explain it to him.” I grumbled at them both waving my fork around precariously. Sarah shook her head at me.

“He’s not you boyfriend Jade. Stop acting like your both in a relationship. This is some weird twisted relationship that only happens in stories which, I suppose, is convenient for your writing.” Aria glared at me. I glared back at her.

“I know what I’m doing.” I said back stubbornly.

“No you don’t. That’s the problem. You don’t know what you’re doing. You are fake dating a guy to make him appear better in the public eye to make him seem like a good person when instead he’s a jerk who let the fame and money get to his head. You are fake dating him to gain as many details as possible to write, what I’m sure will be, a million dollar book. And while you’re at it you’re hoping that you can fix the broken popstar and get married so you both can live happily ever after with ten kids. Do you get how insane that sounds?” Sarah rambled at me, anger lacing her words.

“You can’t fix him. So stop living in your fantasy world and grow up.” Aria growled at me. I dropped my fork on the table and grabbed my bag before standing up.

“You know I’m really sick of my two best friends fighting me at every turn. You’re supposed to support me.” I hissed quietly at them before throwing some money on the table to pay for my food. Turning, I stormed out of the restaurant and headed in the direction of my flat. I ignored the tears that built in my eyes and refused to let them fall.

“JADE!” Sarah’s voice called after me. I sighed and spun around to glare at her and Aria, running to catch up with me.

“Stop being so dramatic.” Aria said, puffing slightly.

“We do support you. We just don’t want you to get hurt.” Sarah added in.

“I’m a big girl and you’re not my brothers.” I whined at them, close to stomping my foot. Aria rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around my waist before leading me back the way to my flat. I knew we were okay then. Our fights very rarely lasted long.

“Talking about your brother. You know he and Sarah went to the movies the other night?” Aria asked me. I turned, shocked, to a blushing Sarah.

“Aria,” she hissed.

“You and Tyler?” I asked, barely believing my words. Her cheeks flushed darker.

“No, Jared.” Aria continued to tease. Sarah turned her glare on her. I continued to stare at Sarah like a gaping fish, not exactly knowing how to deal with this new situation.

“Jared?” I asked confused, my face scrunching up.

“God you are blind. Can you not see she has been crushing on him since like high school!” Aria said loud enough for the people on the opposite side of the road to hear. Sarah blushed darker and buried her head in her hands. I laughed loudly and wrapped an arm around her shouler.

“It’s okay, it’s weird but acceptable. At least you get to be my sister in law now.” I laughed, poking her sides.

“Honestly you two! Stop it.” She snapped with a small smile on her face before walking a head of us. Aria and I exchanged looks and grinned happily before catching up with her.

“So did you both kiss?” I asked her winking.

“JADE!” She whined loudly. Giggling I wrapped my arm around her waist comfortingly.